Jacques Cousteau Family IP Dispute Gets Booted Out of California

An intra-family dispute over the use of Jacques Cousteau’s intellectual property can’t be heard in California, the Central District of California said June 19.

The court doesn’t have personal jurisdiction over Cousteau’s granddaughter, who isn’t a California resident and didn’t direct any of the allegedly infringing acts toward the state.

The Cousteau Society is a nonprofit that owns the rights to famous undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau’s “name, image, likeness, and iconic red cap.” TCS alleged that Cousteau’s granddaughter Celine infringed its trademarks, copyrights, and publicity rights by using Jacques Cousteau’s name and likeness to promote the documentary film “The Adventure ...